Pipe spools are often transported on shipping frames, hereinafter referred to as storage racks, in standard sea shipping containers measuring 40 ft. (length)×8 ft. (width)×9.6 ft. (height). The storage racks may be a standard design or procured through a pipe fabricator to meet certain design specifications. One standard storage rack design uses a flat base and wooden sides as dunnage to secure the pipe spools. However, this design limits storage at the jobsite and transportation over the road. For example, this type of storage rack cannot be stacked fully loaded on-site and empty in a standard shipping container. Moreover, when a piece of wood siding is removed, the integrity of the entire storage rack is compromised and the entire storage rack must be dismantled. As a result, a high square footage of laydown space must be accounted for in order to safely and properly manage the material.
Storage racks specifically designed to meet certain specifications often include a flat base and vertical support members to secure the pipe spools. One common storage rack design uses vertical support members coupled to sockets that are welded to the top of the base. Although the vertical support members may be removed, the sockets remain welded to the top of the base without an opening below the base for receipt of another vertical member or socket. This design thus, limits storage at the jobsite and transportation over the road because this type of storage rack cannot be stacked fully loaded on-site. Moreover, this design also limits the number of storage racks that may be stacked empty in a standard shipping container to about three.
As a result of current storage rack design limitations, only 6-8 metric tons per truckload can be transported due to the fact that they cannot load more than one (1) layer of pipe spools on a flatbed. There is therefore, a need for a transportable storage rack that is prefabricated and permits multiple storage racks to be stacked fully loaded on-site and empty in a standard shipping container.